The 'Garage dilemma' thread : Buy / sell / keep / shuffle my cars

This is a discussion on The 'Garage dilemma' thread : Buy / sell / keep / shuffle my cars within What Car?, part of the BHP India category; I have a Celerio ZXi AMT (O) that I bought in Aug 2016. This is supposed to be my wife's ...

I have a Celerio ZXi AMT (O) that I bought in Aug 2016. This is supposed to be my wife's car when we shift house 3-6 months from now but I'm driving it right now.

My wife did take up a 15-day driving class (about 3-4 years back) but the result wasn't confidence inspiring. For this discussion we can assume she doesn't know how to drive.

We have no other car and the plan is to get a used 2012 Fortuner 4x4 for me when we shift house. I had a Swift LDi that was stolen last year.

Now everything was ok with this plan that when we shift house I get a Fortuner for myself and she can use the Celerio AMT. This was until she mentioned that she doesn't like Celerio too much. Well, I don't like this car either.

After having driven the 2010 Swift Ldi for 6 years this interim shift to Celerio was nothing but sad, very sad. I am a defensive driver but that doesn't mean I never had fun with the Swift. It was a great first car to have and the turbo ensured great fun on open roads.

I go through car portals almost every day for the used Fortuner and yesterday I decided to check what were my options if I was to sell my Celerio and get another automatic in the 5-5.5 lakh range (I'm assuming the Celerio would go for ~5 lakh or maybe 4.8 lakh at least)

I narrowed down to 2 automatics based on my search yesterday and need advice on whether its a sane thing to do i.e. sell an almost brand new (10k on the odo) Celerio and get a used City or Laura 2.0 CR AT.

Considerations:

1. There would be a 15 km expressway driving involved for my wife and I'd prefer a City/Laura anyday over the Celerio. If we decide to have a kid by next year then these are much safer cars to carry a child in compared to the tin can (Celerio).

2. The car HAS to be an automatic. Also, my wife is a new driver. Is learning driving in a sedan a bad thing compared to a hatchback?

3. Both the other cars are going to be a little expensive to maintain (compared to the Celerio) so is it advisable for an amateur driver where the likelihood is that the bumper or running boards end up taking a good beating?

4. Is it a good idea to give a newbie driver girl a 50-60k run used car where the car's reliability & the girl's safety is very important.

5. The Fortuner would definitely come but it would primarily be our touring vehicle for outstation trips and my daily driver to office. Overnight parking at a friends place is not something that I'd take it out for so a good second car would definitely help our weekend runs.

First Option

Get a 2011 Honda City (V) AT that would've run around 50-60k. My father has a 2013 City (V) MT and its a great no nonsense car. It doesn't feel too solid (like a Laura) but doesn't feel like a tin can either.

Any issues with the City AT? From the initial driving reports that I read its a decent drivers car and I couldn't find any page where someone faced issues with the 2011 City AT.

My parents would start staying with us next year onwards but their MT City would still be driven by them.

Second Option

Get the tank instead - a 2011 Laura 2.0 CR AT. Amongst the ownership reports that I read bhpians have had no problem with the DSG for any 2011+ manufactured Laura.

I can get a 60-70k run Elegance variant and there can never be enough said about its build quality or overall driving dynamics. The DSG, as I've read, is a hoot to drive on open roads but it will still be my wife's daily driver.

I kept my brother-in-law's Laura diesel MT when my Swift was stolen and after having driven it for 2-3 months I was totally sold on its build quality & driving dynamics. While it will be my wife's daily driver it would be fun when we take it out on weekends together.

However, the electronics in the car scare me. I mean there's a dash light for everything in the car and I'm not somebody who'd want to drive it with any light on.

Would it be too much of a headache to maintain this car? How about DSG reliability upwards of 60-70k kms. A 2011 diesel car would mean that I might have to let it go in another 3-4 years if NCR decides to ban 10+ year old diesel vehicles. The resale value as I read is going to be peanuts but I'm not too worried if I have fun with it over the next 3-4 years.

If you can stretch you budget a bit maybe you can look at a used VW Vento DSG over the Laura and any day over the Honda City

The Vento DSG would be a little more unreliable in my books as compared to the Laura with the 6 speed DSG.
Also, Laura is a lot more nicer a vehicle and a 2011/2012 make shouldn't have as many niggles as the initial batches IMO. However, getting one in good condition at 5-6L would be a little tough.

Personally, I would suggest keeping the Celerio for your wife until she gets a little more confidence given she hasn't driven in a while, or alternately get a good Jap/Korean automatic hatch such as the Jazz which would be safer and still easy to drive.

I have a Celerio ZXi AMT (O) that I bought in Aug 2016. This is supposed to be my wife's car when we shift house 3-6 months from now but I'm driving it right now.

My wife did take up a 15-day driving class (about 3-4 years back) but the result wasn't confidence inspiring. For this discussion we can assume she doesn't know how to drive.

We have no other car and the plan is to get a used 2012 Fortuner 4x4 for me when we shift house. I had a Swift LDi that was stolen last year.

Now everything was ok with this plan that when we shift house I get a Fortuner for myself and she can use the Celerio AMT. This was until she mentioned that she doesn't like Celerio too much. Well, I don't like this car either.

After having driven the 2010 Swift Ldi for 6 years this interim shift to Celerio was nothing but sad, very sad. I am a defensive driver but that doesn't mean I never had fun with the Swift. It was a great first car to have and the turbo ensured great fun on open roads.

I go through car portals almost every day for the used Fortuner and yesterday I decided to check what were my options if I was to sell my Celerio and get another automatic in the 5-5.5 lakh range (I'm assuming the Celerio would go for ~5 lakh or maybe 4.8 lakh at least)

Not to be a spoil sport but my 2015 celerio VXI amt fetched 385000/- that too with an exchange bonus of 15k a week ago. It did have 26000 km on odo. So you might want to be realistic with resale value.

As for your wife, I guess it's only a matter of time when she builds confidence to drive, so don't write off things so easily. As far as automatics are concerned, for sure the celerio is a basic amt. you would any day love a jazz cvt or a city. For our city, and if you have the parking space , not bad to have a small automatic city car and may be a big SUV for the fun highways. I won't recommend used cars over 50k unless from a known source. Buying an elephant and maintaining them are two different things.

Based on the expert opinions here, I have decided to go for the new Ciaz AT to replace my Honda Accord 2001 AT.

Just before I went to the Ciaz showroom, my Honda Accord had an issue with the head and radiotor. My mechanic gave me the option of buying it for Rs. 15,000 as is. Few days went by in which time he changed the head and the radiator and also put in few days of labour. The car is again in running condition and so I showed it to Ciaz folks for exchange evaluation.

Now Ciaz is offering me Rs. 45,000 for the car plus Rs. 40,000 as exchange bonus. The total cost of putting the new head and radiator is also around Rs.45,000.

So I will get a net of Rs. 40,000 from Ciaz if the give the Honda Accord to them for exchange.

I love driving the Honda Accord AT and have used it very sparingly for short local drives within Pune.

I have a 2010 Xylo W8 which I have grown tired of and really don't enjoy driving it anymore.

I am thinking that I will pay Rs. 45,000 to my mechanic for the recent Honda Accord repairs and continue using it sparingly. Even if it lasts me for 2 years without any major repairs, it is good.

As it is, I was planning to sell off the Xylo in the near future. So I can sell the Xylo now and keep the Accord AT along with the new Ciaz AT.

Ciaz will be for long drives and Accord for the very small local ones. If at any point Accord dies, I will not put any more money into it but just discard it at that point.

I go through car portals almost every day for the used Fortuner and yesterday I decided to check what were my options if I was to sell my Celerio and get another automatic in the 5-5.5 lakh range (I'm assuming the Celerio would go for ~5 lakh or maybe 4.8 lakh at least)

Your location shows you are in Delhi. I really doubt a year old Celerio is going to get you anything close to 5-Lakhs especially considering the discounts available on the new car. A realistic price would be in the range of 4.4-4.6 Lakhs. Looking at you planning to get a Fortuner, It's best you retain the Celerio. Nothing matches the convenience of an automatic hatchback in the city. Abuse friendly and ease of parking.

Most importantly your wife will be at ease with a hatchback for city use. A Skoda Laura can be bought cheap but the upkeep, in the long run, is going to cost you a lot. If a fun to drive auto hatch is your only requirement then look at the GT TSi with an extended warranty. A 2-year old GT Tsi makes a strong case. Even after all this if you are keen on a sedan then you should seriously consider a Corolla Altis Auto over the Honda City.

But before taking the call, I would suggest you ask your wife to practice on the Celerio. Let her get accustomed to a hatchback first and then depending on her comfort, you should start looking at bigger sedans. Happy shopping!

Asit

Quote:

Originally Posted by golfdude

Folks,

Based on the expert opinions here, I have decided to go for the new Ciaz AT to replace my Honda Accord 2001 AT.

Just before I went to the Ciaz showroom, my Honda Accord had an issue with the head and radiotor. My mechanic gave me the option of buying it for Rs. 15,000 as is. Few days went by in which time he changed the head and the radiator and also put in few days of labour. The car is again in running condition and so I showed it to Ciaz folks for exchange evaluation.

Now Ciaz is offering me Rs. 45,000 for the car plus Rs. 40,000 as exchange bonus. The total cost of putting the new head and radiator is also around Rs.45,000.

So I will get a net of Rs. 40,000 from Ciaz if the give the Honda Accord to them for exchange.

I love driving the Honda Accord AT and have used it very sparingly for short local drives within Pune.

I have a 2010 Xylo W8 which I have grown tired of and really don't enjoy driving it anymore.

I am thinking that I will pay Rs. 45,000 to my mechanic for the recent Honda Accord repairs and continue using it sparingly. Even if it lasts me for 2 years without any major repairs, it is good.

As it is, I was planning to sell off the Xylo in the near future. So I can sell the Xylo now and keep the Accord AT along with the new Ciaz AT.

Ciaz will be for long drives and Accord for the very small local ones. If at any point Accord dies, I will not put any more money into it but just discard it at that point.

Any thoughts ?

Thanks.

If you haven't spent 45k on the Accord, I would suggest sell it off and get the Ciaz AT. 45k is more than 40% of the realistic resale value of your accord plus its already over 15 years old. Spend that 45k only if you plan to retain it for a long time. 2 years is a very short time for spending 45k plus you wouldn't be sure of any upcoming troubles. Alternatively, why don't you look for a used Civic/ Corolla AT. Accord to Ciaz would be a big compromise in terms of the engine IMHO. Happy shopping!

I have a Celerio ZXi AMT (O) that I bought in Aug 2016. This is supposed to be my wife's car when we shift house 3-6 months from now but I'm driving it right now.

My wife did take up a 15-day driving class (about 3-4 years back) but the result wasn't confidence inspiring. For this discussion we can assume she doesn't know how to drive.

We have no other car and the plan is to get a used 2012 Fortuner 4x4 for me when we shift house. I had a Swift LDi that was stolen last year.

Now everything was ok with this plan that when we shift house I get a Fortuner for myself and she can use the Celerio AMT. This was until she mentioned that she doesn't like Celerio too much. Well, I don't like this car either.

Any particular reason why your wife does not like the Celerio? Since she is a new driver, I assume it is not related to drivability or the jerky AMT. Is it just because it feels cheap?

In my opinion, does not make sense to get a Laura for a new driver. For an experienced driver, the difference between a small hatch and a sedan may not be a major factor,but for a new driver it definitely makes a lot of difference. In addition, a 60K run Skoda may become a maintenance headache and maybe expensive to fix in case of issues.

Between the 2, I would suggest the Honda City. A size smaller and should be more reliable and you also have a better chance of getting one in your budget.

As others have mentioned, it makes most sense to hang on to the Celerio till your wife is comfortable driving. It is definitely a good car for a new driver.

If you haven't spent 45k on the Accord, I would suggest sell it off and get the Ciaz AT. 45k is more than 40% of the realistic resale value of your accord plus its already over 15 years old. Spend that 45k only if you plan to retain it for a long time. 2 years is a very short time for spending 45k plus you wouldn't be sure of any upcoming troubles. Alternatively, why don't you look for a used Civic/ Corolla AT. Accord to Ciaz would be a big compromise in terms of the engine IMHO. Happy shopping!

Asit

I have already spent Rs. 45k for the Honda Accord repairs. So now the question is do I sell it to get the Rs. 40k exchange bonus from the Ciaz AT dealer since they will give me Rs. 45k for the car and Rs. 40k exchange bonus.

Or do I let go of the Rs. 40k and continue to use the Accord AT till it dies. Meanwhile, I can sell my 2010 Xylo top end model for Rs. 3 lacs (will get the new Ciaz AT as its replacement) since I do not enjoy driving it anymore.

Guys, my Punto which is my daily drive is up for replacement. It has done 105000 kms.

I have a budget of 20 lakhs ex showroom, I am looking at the Creta and also considering the Jeep Compass. This car will be mainly driver driven in the city and I will drive on the highways. Should I look at the automatics or go for the manual transmission.

Creta doesn't have an automatic with top spec safety. Jeep will also not launch initially with the top spec automatic.

Do I wait for the automatic from Jeep or pick the manual transmission, or will the Creta make sense as it will at least save me a good 7 lakhs.

I have an I10 grand in automatic and a C250 which obviously is an automatic. Do you guys think that it's always good to have one manual transmission in the garage. Assuming I buy the Jeep top spec , will it be better in manual or automatic ?
Safety on the highway is top priority, hence ruling out the Creta automatic.

I have already spent Rs. 45k for the Honda Accord repairs. So now the question is do I sell it to get the Rs. 40k exchange bonus from the Ciaz AT dealer since they will give me Rs. 45k for the car and Rs. 40k exchange bonus.

Or do I let go of the Rs. 40k and continue to use the Accord AT till it dies. Meanwhile, I can sell my 2010 Xylo top end model for Rs. 3 lacs (will get the new Ciaz AT as its replacement) since I do not enjoy driving it anymore.

Thanks.

If you already spent that much to repair the car, you probably extended its life by a good amount of time. Use it for at least a year more or till the next "major service" is required, then sell it for whatever you get.

I have a budget of 20 lakhs ex showroom, I am looking at the Creta and also considering the Jeep Compass.
I have an I10 grand in automatic and a C250 which obviously is an automatic. Do you guys think that it's always good to have one manual transmission in the garage. Assuming I buy the Jeep top spec , will it be better in manual or automatic ?

Since you have owned a Fiat in the past and seem to happy with it and would have developed ASC contacts as well, I'd recommend you wait for the Compass over the Creta.

There is no point in having an MT at home unless it is a Jeep/Gypsy which you use as a weekend offroader or a custom made sedan which you take to the track. ATs are the best option for normal road going cars today.

If you already spent that much to repair the car, you probably extended its life by a good amount of time. Use it for at least a year more or till the next "major service" is required, then sell it for whatever you get.

Guys, my Punto which is my daily drive is up for replacement. It has done 105000 kms.

I have a budget of 20 lakhs ex showroom, I am looking at the Creta and also considering the Jeep Compass. This car will be mainly driver driven in the city and I will drive on the highways. Should I look at the automatics or go for the manual transmission.

Creta doesn't have an automatic with top spec safety. Jeep will also not launch initially with the top spec automatic.

Do I wait for the automatic from Jeep or pick the manual transmission, or will the Creta make sense as it will at least save me a good 7 lakhs.

I have an I10 grand in automatic and a C250 which obviously is an automatic. Do you guys think that it's always good to have one manual transmission in the garage. Assuming I buy the Jeep top spec , will it be better in manual or automatic ?
Safety on the highway is top priority, hence ruling out the Creta automatic.

How about the Hexa or XUV AT. Should meet your criteria of top safety and is the type that you don't have in the garage. I personally don't see a need for having a manual car in the garage unless there is someone who needs to learn driving (Although Automatics are getting popular-would still recommend a new driver to start with a manual). A manual also makes sense if the intended buy is a fun to drive car (like for example the Abarth or the Figo Sport). At the budget you are looking at, I fee the AT's make more sense.

Most importantly your wife will be at ease with a hatchback for city use.....

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

As others have mentioned, it makes most sense to hang on to the Celerio till your wife is comfortable driving.....

Thanks guys!

Based on the suggestions and another discussion at home it looks like the Celerio will stay, at least till the time my wife is comfortable driving on expressway and in the city.

I think reliability is what stood out more than anything else. Better to give a new driver a reliable car and once she learns a thing or two about cars we'd venture in the used car territory. I would as such be taking a small risk getting a used Fortuner so better to spend my time maintaining that SUV than getting 2 used cars.

I'm in quite a dilemma right now. My garage consists of a 2007 Swift Vxi, 2011 Nano LX and 2013 Fluence E4D. I'm moving abroad soon and should be there at least for the next 3 years. Now the biggest question obviously is what needs to be done with the Fluence, but that's something I'm keeping aside for now. This post is to discuss just the Nano and the Swift.

Nano is primarily being used by my mother and now needs replacement. Maintenance on this Nano is no longer justified and we are looking at options.

Now, my Swift is 10 years old with 90K on the Odo. I would rate its condition as strictly average. This was my first car and I'm quite emotionally invested in it, would love to keep it as long as I can. However, I'm super guilty that this car wasn't taken care of the way it deserved, me being away from it for long periods was one contributing factor.

Below are the options I have -

1) Exchange Nano for a new Nano AMT (getting a year back model for under 3 lacs), retain the swift.
2) Sell the Nano and the Swift, get a new Nano
3) Sell the Nano and the Swift, get a K10/Kwid/RediGo

All the above options will need additional investment. Now for the next option -

4) Sell the Nano, invest that money plus some extra in restoring the Swift back to glory - Cosmetically, Mechanically and Electrically.

Needless to say, I'm heavily inclined towards Option 4. But am I just blindly being emotional here? Or is that a wise decision considering investment will be minimal and I extract maximum value out of my first car?

My mother will be using this car and approximate usage will be around 600 kms a month - max.